Crate-press



J. H. PLATT.

CRATE PRESS.

APPLICATION FILED MAYZ, I9l8.

Patented July 6, 192%.

my A n@ promu-y' trarne `aerien.,

JOEE E. PLATE, 0F 'LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

CRATE-PRESS.

To @ZZ whom may concern:

Be it known that l, JOHN H. PLATT, a citizen of the United States of America, and residing in Los Angeles, in thel county of 'Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful improvement in Crate-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to crate presses, and more particularly 'to crates for packing cantaloups for shipment and the principal object is to provide means to vary the height of the crate support, as an improvement of my crate press patented November 27, 1917, and serially numbered 1,248,002.

lt is also an object to provide an adjustable slat cover holder that Will properly space the same,and also register the end of the slat in correct relation to the top of the crate.

lft is a further object to provide a resilient l latch to lock the slats in position that will not interfere with the bending of the same while being forced into position, and also spring out of contact with the melons.

ln the drawings accompanying this application, Figure 1 is a front elevation of the press, the parts being shown in open position:

Fig. 2 is a section of the same on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a front elevation on enlarged scale of the cover slat holding frame, and Fig. 4 is a plan of the same, clearly showing the clamps and adjustment of the individual slat holders.

1n the packing of melons for shipment it is customary to use several sizes of crates, varying in height and width according to the size of! melon and to form a compact package, to overfill the crate and in securing the slats by hand over the bulging top layer, though the' slats are generally soaked, two men are required and many slats are broken and the melons bruised, due to the manipulation, especially when packed on a flat floor.

Methods of providing removable subbases are used in the art, but none provide the compact and easily changed variation of the same base as applicant, neither are the slats forming the cover adjusted laterall in relation to the different size of crates,

ore specifically in the drawings thenumeral 6 designates a base having erected and braced thereon the parallel uprights 7 Specification of Letters Patent.

)Patented Tully 5, 1920.

Application med lay' 25, 1918. Serial No. 236,65.

and 8 on the approximated and inner surfaces of which are mounted lthe l1 irons,`9 acting as slides for the slidable frame 10.

Over the forward portion of the frame, 6, and connected with the uprights is built a table, 11, of'suitable height, this table having the front legs, 12, and braces, 14 and 15, on which are secured the longitudinal pieces, 16 and 17, which correspond in spacing with the widest crate, and longitudinally secured on the table and on which rests the crate support, 18, preferably 'of the form shown, with a depressed central portion and the inclined approaches at either end with a back plate guide, 20, which also acts as a slide and guide against the front faces of the uprights, 7 and 8, this table and guide being secured to the two side frames,`22 and 23, sliding against the outer faces of 7 and 8, being held in proper spaced relation by the bars 24, 25 and in front by bar 26.

Vlhe effect the first step upward or variation of less height blocks 27 and 28 are hinged respectively to the pieces 16 and 17, so that they fall inside and below the level of these pieces normally, but by lifting the table 18 upward a sufficient distance, the blocks may be turned over as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, on top of 17 and 16 and thus hold the table 18 for thefpony crate, the lowest position accommodating standard and jumbo crates.

To provide a proper base for the flats the U irons 29 and 30 are provided hinged by pins 31 to the pieces 16 and 17 laterally of the crate position, and each has a handle, 32, by which they may be lifted, this action lifting the crate support, 18, the action being assisted by the ylong coiled spring, 33, and friction reduced by the strap irons 34, the spring also holding the Us in contact with the stops, 35, in a vertical position.

In packing melons the crates are usually handled entirely by hand so that the approach may be from either side, and to form a proper stop, an easily detached angle iron,

36, is provided, with a slotted face to Contact with either the uprights 7 or 8, and secured by a bolt 37, 'at a level to accommodate all depths of crates.

The slat cover support is operated in the same manner as in my patent previously mentioned, being lifted by the coiled spring, 38, and depressed by a foot lever 35), hinged. at 40 and connected to the lower part of the over the table 18Y and form the support for.

the curved slat holders, the first 46 Vfrom the back being secured permanentl to the bars and being provided with the nger or end gage 47 the side finger or gage 48 and the -side gripping spring 49, this being preferably formed of sprmg wire lin the shape shown, normally with its gripping end 50, resting in a slot, and also provided with resiliency upward so as not to injure the melons in the top of the crate.

The other two holders, 5l and 52, are slidably mounted4 laterally of the crate, a crate being designed to have three slats for a cover, that are usuallybowed in equal proportion to those forming the bottom, and as the different crates vary in width in four sizes these two latter holders are adjustable to provide for an equal spacing of the covering slats.

These two front holders are of the same shape as 46 with same gages and spring gripper but to hold the same in position, flat springs 53 are provided and secured above the holders on one side by a bolt, 54, holding the coil of the spring 49 and a bolt 55, the under side of each of these springs having a depressed portion to form a key to engage with the series of notches 56, 57, 58 and 59, there being lpreferably only one of these latter since the difference between a jumbo and flats is one half inch which would hardly be noticed for the middle slat.

In F ig. 2 the spacing is for a jumbo in height and width the outline being shown in dotted lines, a slat being shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 and in holder 46 in Fig. 4 and with the parts in the position shown in each of the first two figures, by depressing the foot lever 39 the slats are bowed over the filled crate, the bottom bulging in equal proportions, and the ends contacting the whole is locked in nailing position by the pawl 43, the operators having both hands free to nail. To release the crate, by upressing on the outer end of the pawl, 43,

' the lever 39 is unlocked, permitting the frame 10 to be raised, freeing the crate vfor removal, the operator next selecting three slats from the racks 60 on top of the uprights 7 and 8 and locking the same in. position on the three holders in unstrained position, ready to be pressed to the next crate.

To accommodate narrower and shallower crate, the U is raised, the pieces 27 and 28 pushed into position, the Us returned to their depressed position, and the holders slid Lamers inward until theirA springs engage the notches 56each holder having a guide 61 and 62 respectively, that guides the same by sliding on the holder 46, and prevents the same from being drawn off the frame by the stops 63 and 64 on their inner ends, and en, ga ing the inner edge of the holder 46.-

hat I claim is- 1. In a crate press the combination with a frame of a vertically adjustable box support, a curved cover holder, and means to move said holder to press a cover held thereon in contact with an uncovered crate on said support.

2. A crate press comprising a frame, an adjustable crate seat, a reciprocatable carriage thereon, slat cover holders carried by said carriage, and means to vary the spacing of said slat holders.

3. A crate press comprising a frame, a vertically movable box support, a sliding member, mounted on said frame, a curved cover support fixed to said member, and means to move said member.

" 4. A crate press comprising a fixed frame, a slidable crate support adapted to slide in a vertical plane, means to support said crate support in varying position, a sliding member mounted on said frame, a cover support fixed to said member, and means to move said member. 4

5. A combined crate press and cover closer comprising a pressing frame, an adjustable seat, a movable frame, a curved cover holding member on said frame, resilient means to lock a cover in relation to said cover'holding member in unstrained position, and means to move said frame to compress material in a crate and secure said cover thereto in strained position.

6. A cover press comprising a box seat, an opposed coverholder provided with a plurality of fingers adapted to register a cover on two of its edges, and a vertically resilient latch member adapted to clamp a cover in opposition to the action of one or more of said fingers, and not injure objects with which it may contact in the pressing operation.

7. A combined cover holding and press mechanism, comprising a frame, a downwardly curved seat, a stop on said frame', an upwardly curved cover holder formed of a plurality of slat holding members adapted to move in relation to said seat, a plurality of fingers oneach of said members, meansto hold the slats of a crate cover in unstrained relation and in contact with all of said fin' tact with said cover holding member.

8. A crate press comprising a' frame, 'a crate support, a slideble ember, arms extending from said member, e plurality of cover slet holders mounted on said arms, and

5 means to vary the spacing of said holders.

9. A crate press comprlsing frame, a crete support, a slidable member, arms extending from seid member, eplurzglity of cover Slat holders mounted on seid arms, and notches on said arms, and a resilient spring Contact# 10 ing member, secured to said holders, and adapted to engage seid notches.

JOHN H. PLATT. 

